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NUTRITION u Evidence Based

Written by Matthew Thorpe,

11 Natural Ways to Lower Your MD, PhD on April 17, 2017

Cortisol Levels
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Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands.
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It's important for helping your body deal with stressful situations, as your brain triggers its
release in response to many different kinds of stress.

However, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, this hormone can hurt you more than it
helps.

Over time, high levels may cause weight gain and high blood pressure, disrupt sleep,
negatively impact mood, reduce your energy levels and contribute to diabetes.

What Happens When Cortisol Is High?

Over the last 15 years, studies have increasingly revealed that moderately high cortisol levels
can cause problems (1).

These include:

Chronic complications: Including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis
(2).

Weight gain: Cortisol increases appetite and signals the body to shift metabolism to store
fat (3, 4).

Tiredness: It interferes with daily cycles of other hormones, disrupting sleep patterns and
causing fatigue (5, 6).

Impaired brain function: Cortisol interferes with memory, contributing to mental

cloudiness or "brain fog" (7).

Infections: It hampers the immune system, making you more prone to infections (8).

In rare cases, very high cortisol levels can lead to Cushing's syndrome, a rare but serious
disease (1, 9).

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce your levels. Here are 11 lifestyle, diet
and relaxation tips to lower cortisol levels.

related stories
1. Get the Right Amount of Sleep
Timing, length and quality of sleep all influence cortisol (10). Cortisol Level Test

For example, a review of 28 studies of shift workers found that cortisol increases in people who
sleep during the day rather than at night.
17 Proven Tips to Sleep
Better at Night
Over time, sleep deprivation causes increased levels (11).

Rotating shifts also disrupt normal daily hormonal patterns, contributing to fatigue and other
problems associated with high cortisol (12, 13). Cortisol Urine Test

Insomnia causes high cortisol for up to 24 hours. Interruptions to sleep, even if brief, can also
increase your levels and disrupt daily hormone patterns (14, 15, 16).
How Many Hours of Sleep
Do You Really Need?
If you are a night shift or rotating shift worker, you don't have complete control over your sleep
schedule, but there are some things you can do to optimize sleep:

Exercise: Be physically active during waking hours and keep a regular bedtime as much 16 Simple Ways to Relieve
Stress and Anxiety
as possible (17).

No caffeine at night: Avoid caffeine in the evening (18).

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Limit exposure to bright light at night: Turn off the screens and wind down for several
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minutes before bedtime (19, 20).

Limit distractions before bed: Limit interruptions by using white noise, ear plugs,
silencing your phone and avoiding fluids right before bed (21).

v Take naps: If shift work cuts your sleep hours short, napping can reduce sleepiness and
prevent a sleep deficit (22).


w
SUMMARY:
z
Keep a consistent sleep schedule, avoid caffeine in the evening, avoid sleep
 interruptions and get seven to eight hours of sleep daily to keep cortisol in a normal
rhythm.

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2. Exercise, but Not Too Much

Depending on the intensity of exercise, it can increase or decrease cortisol.

Intense exercise increases cortisol shortly after exercise. Although it increases in the short
term, nighttime levels later decrease (23, 24). ADVERTISEMENT

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This short-term increase helps coordinate growth of the body to meet the challenge.
Additionally, the size of the cortisol response lessens with habitual training (23).

While even moderate exercise increases cortisol in unfit individuals, physically fit individuals
experience a smaller bump with intense activity (25, 26).

In contrast to "maximum effort" exercise, mild or moderate exercise at 40–60% of maximum

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effort does not increase cortisol in the short term, and still leads to lower levels at night (24, 27).
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SUMMARY:
Exercise decreases cortisol at night. Intense exercise increases cortisol in the short
term due to stress on the body, but still decreases it the following night.

3. Learn to Recognize Stressful Thinking

Stressful thoughts are an important signal for cortisol release.

A study of 122 adults found that writing about past stressful experiences increased cortisol over
one month compared to writing about positive life experiences or plans for the day (28).

Mindfulness-based stress reduction is a strategy that involves becoming more self-aware of For a Longer Life and Happier
stress-provoking thoughts and replacing worrying or anxiety with a focus on acknowledging Gut, Eat More Fiber 
and understanding stressful thoughts and emotions.

Training yourself to be aware of your thoughts, breathing, heart rate and other signs of tension
helps you recognize stress when it begins. ADVERTISEMENT

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By focusing on awareness of your mental and physical state, you can become an objective
observer of your stressful thoughts, instead of a victim of them (29).

Recognizing stressful thoughts allows you to formulate a conscious and deliberate reaction to
them. A study of 43 women in a mindfulness-based program showed the ability to describe and
articulate stress was linked to a lower cortisol response (30).

Another study of 128 women with breast cancer showed stress mindfulness training reduced
cortisol compared to no stress management strategy (31).

The Positive Psychology Program offers a review of some mindfulness-based stress reduction
techniques.

SUMMARY:
"Stress mindfulness" emphasizes self-awareness of stressful thoughts and signs of
body tension. Becoming more aware of stress and its triggers is the first step to
successfully coping with stress.

4. Learn to Relax
Various relaxation exercises have been proven to reduce cortisol levels (32).

Deep breathing is a simple technique for stress reduction that can be used anywhere. A study
of 28 middle-aged women found a nearly 50% reduction in cortisol with habitual deep
breathing training (33, 34).

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 A review of several studies also showed massage therapy can reduce cortisol levels by 30% AD
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utm_source=ads&utm_medium=choice&utm_campaign=2)
(35).

Multiple studies confirm that yoga can reduce cortisol and manage stress. Regular participation
in tai chi has also been shown to be effective (36, 37, 38).

Studies have also shown relaxing music can decrease cortisol (39, 40, 41).
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For example, listening to music for 30 minutes reduced cortisol levels in 88 male and female Body’s Skin, Muscle, and
college students compared to 30 minutes of silence or viewing a documentary (42). Gut 

Helpguide.org has a brief guide to several relaxation techniques like those used in these
studies.

SUMMARY:
Many relaxation techniques are proven to lower cortisol. Examples include deep
breathing, yoga and tai chi, music and massage.

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5. Have Fun with Vitamins and

Antioxidants 

Another way to keep cortisol down is simply to be happy (43).

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A positive disposition is associated with lower cortisol, as well as lower blood pressure, a
healthy heart rate and a strong immune system (43, 44, 45).

Activities that increase life satisfaction also improve health and one of the ways they do this
may be through controlling cortisol.

For example, a study of 18 healthy adults showed cortisol decreased in response to laughter
(46).

Developing hobbies can also promote feelings of well-being, which translate to lower cortisol.
A study of 49 middle-aged veterans showed that taking up gardening decreased levels more
than conventional occupational therapy (47).

Another study of 30 men and women found that participants who gardened experienced
greater cortisol reductions than those who read indoors (48).
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Part of this benefit may have been due to spending more time outdoors. Two studies found
decreased cortisol following outdoor activity, as opposed to indoor activity. However, other
studies found no such benefit (49, 50, 51).

SUMMARY:
Tending to your own happiness will help keep cortisol down. Taking up a hobby,
spending time outdoors and laughing can all help.

6. Maintain Healthy Relationships

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Friends and family are a source of great happiness in life, as well as great stress. These
dynamics are played out in cortisol levels.

Cortisol is incorporated in tiny amounts into your hair.

The amounts of cortisol along the length of a hair even correspond to cortisol levels at the time
that part of the hair was growing. This allows researchers to estimate levels over time (52).

Studies of cortisol in hair show that children with a stable and warm family life have lower levels
than children from homes with high levels of conflict (52).

Within couples, conflict results in a short-term elevation in cortisol, followed by return to normal
levels (53).

A study of conflict styles in 88 couples found nonjudgmental mindfulness or empathy led to a

more rapid return of cortisol to normal levels following an argument (53).

Support from loved ones can also help reduce cortisol in the face of stress.

A study of 66 men and women showed that for men, support from their female partners
reduced cortisol in response to public speaking (54).

v Another study showed that having an affectionate interaction with a romantic partner before a
 stressful activity benefited heart rate and blood pressure more than support from a friend (55).

z SUMMARY:
Relationships with friends and family can lead to happiness and to stress. Spend time
 with those you love and learn to forgive and manage conflict for better emotional and
physical health.
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7. Take Care of a Pet

Relationships with animal companions can also reduce cortisol.

In one study, interaction with a therapy dog reduced distress and resulting cortisol changes
during a minor medical procedure in children (56).

Another study of 48 adults showed that contact with a dog was better than support from a
friend during a socially stressful situation (57).

A third study tested the cortisol-reducing effect of canine companionship in pet owners
compared to non-pet-owners (58).

Non-pet-owners experienced a greater drop in cortisol when they were given canine
companions, likely because pet owners had already benefited from the friendship of their
animals at the beginning of the study.

Interestingly, pets experience similar benefits following positive interactions, suggesting animal
companionship is mutually beneficial (59).

SUMMARY:
Several studies show that interacting with an animal companion reduces stress and
lowers cortisol levels. Pets also benefit from positive relationships with their humans.

8. Be Your Best Self ADVERTISEMENT

Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy can lead to negative thinking and elevated cortisol (60).

A program to help identify and cope with these kinds of feelings led to a 23% reduction in
cortisol in 30 adults compared to 15 adults who did not participate (61).

For some causes of guilt, fixing the source will mean making a change in your life. For other
causes, learning to forgive yourself and move on can improve your sense of well-being.

Developing a habit of forgiving others is also critical in relationships. One study of 145 couples
compared the effects of different kinds of marriage counseling.

Couples who received interventions that facilitated forgiving and conflict resolution techniques
experienced reduced cortisol levels (62).

SUMMARY:
Resolving guilt improves life satisfaction and cortisol levels. This may involve changing
habits, forgiving others or learning to forgive yourself.

9. Tend to Your Spirituality

If you consider yourself spiritual, developing your faith can also help improve cortisol.

Studies show that adults who expressed spiritual faith experienced lower cortisol levels in the
face of life stressors such as illness.

This was true even after studies took into account the potential cortisol-lowering effects of
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social support from faith-based groups (63, 64).

Prayer is also associated with reduced anxiety and depression (65).

If you do not consider yourself spiritual, these benefits may also be available through
meditation, developing a social support group and performing acts of kindness (66).

SUMMARY:
For those with spiritual inclinations, developing faith and participating in prayer can
help control cortisol. Whether you're spiritual or not, performing acts of kindness can
also improve your cortisol levels.

10. Eat Healthy Foods

 Nutrition can influence cortisol for better or for worse.

Sugar intake is one of the classic triggers for cortisol release. Regular, high sugar intakes may
keep your levels elevated (67).

Consuming sugar is especially linked to higher cortisol in obese individuals (68).

Interestingly, sugar can also reduce the amount of cortisol released in response to specific
stressful events (69).

Taken together, these effects explain why sweet desserts are good comfort foods, but frequent
or excessive sugar increases cortisol over time.

Additionally, a few specific foods can benefit cortisol levels: ADVERTISEMENT

Dark chocolate: Two studies of 95 adults showed that consuming dark chocolate
reduced their cortisol response to a stress challenge (70, 71).

Many fruits: A study of 20 cycling athletes showed eating bananas or pears during a 75-
km ride reduced levels compared to drinking water only (72).

Black and green tea: A study of 75 men found 6 weeks of drinking black tea decreased
cortisol in response to a stressful task, compared to a different caffeinated drink (73).

Probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics are friendly, symbiotic bacteria in foods such as
yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. Prebiotics, such as soluble fiber, provide food for these
bacteria. Both probiotics and prebiotics help reduce cortisol (74).

Water: Dehydration increases cortisol. Water is great for hydrating while avoiding empty
calories. A study in nine male runners showed that maintaining hydration during athletic
training reduced cortisol levels (75).

SUMMARY:
Cortisol-reducing foods include dark chocolate, tea and soluble fiber. Avoiding excess
sugar consumption may also help keep your levels down.

11. Take Certain Supplements

Studies have proven that at least two nutritional supplements can lower cortisol levels.

Fish Oil
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Fish oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to reduce cortisol
(76).

One study looked at how seven men responded to mentally stressful testing over three weeks.
One group of men took fish oil supplements and the other group didn't. Fish oil reduced
cortisol levels in response to stress (77).

Another three-week study showed that fish oil supplements reduced cortisol in response to a
stressful task, compared to a placebo (78).

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an Asian herbal supplement used in traditional medicine to treat anxiety and Was this article helpful?
help people adapt to stress.

A study of 98 adults taking an ashwagandha supplement or a placebo for 60 days showed that Yes No
taking 125 mg of ashwagandha once or twice daily reduced cortisol levels (79).

Another study of 64 adults with chronic stress showed that those who took 300-mg
supplements experienced reduced cortisol over 60 days, compared to those who took a
placebo.

SUMMARY:
Fish oil supplements and an Asian herbal medicine called ashwagandha have both
been shown to help reduce cortisol levels.

The Bottom Line

Over time, high cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, fatigue
and difficulty concentrating.

Try the simple lifestyle tips above to lower your cortisol levels, have more energy and improve
your health.

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